Abstract

Research into generational differences in the workplace is limited. Academic studies range from
being robust to those which portray generational differences in more generalised terms, omitting
characteristics such as age, life-stage, gender or profession. Studies into a career style,
progression and career success, are likewise varied, being studied from a range of different
perspectives, including gender, life-stage or age; however, to date, there has been no research
conducted from a generational perspective. There has also been an acknowledgement that there
have been only a few studies conducted that have a clear theoretical and empirical underpinning.
With the majority being quantitative-centric; these studies do not have the rich insight into
understanding the complexities surrounding a generation and / or of an individual’s career that a
qualitative study would offer. Reflecting this existing gap, the aim of this study to investigate the
role of generational differences in an individual, British manager’s career type, progression and
perception of career success. The main study using an interpretivist methodology in the form of
semi-structured interviews, investigated the careers of 42 British managers across three
generations. The participants’ CVs were analysed using a documentary analysis approach, while
the findings were interpreted using content analysis.
The study’s first key finding is the acknowledgement that there is theoretical and empirical
evidence to support the contention that a generation is a reliable means for grouping individuals.
The second key finding of the study using, Verbruggen et al.’s (2008) Career Categorisation
model, relates to the career types and progression are influenced by a generational grouping. This
study contends that career styles and career progression are influenced by determinants such as
age, life-stage, gender, profession but also by their generation. The final key finding is that the
Kaleidoscope Career model provides a means to view differences towards career success from a
generational perspective, but also reveals that a generation does not operate in isolation; rather,
an individual’s profession, life-stage and gender are also significant. In conclusion, this thesis
provides a deep and rich conceptual insight, knowledge and understanding for Human Resource
practitioners and academia as to how a career is influenced when viewed through a generational
lens.
The first contribution of the study sets out the extent to which theoretical and empirical evidence
demonstrates that a generation is a reliable means to group individual managers. The second
contribution, relates to the extent to which career types and progression are influenced by a
generational grouping. The final contribution extends Mainiero and Sullivan’s (2005, 2006)
original Kaleidoscope Career model to more accurately depict career success when individual
managers are grouped generationally, by introducing a new “glass chip” to represent the need for
a ‘subjective challenge,’ which is reflective in the shift to careers becoming more protean.